Film Study: Sam Romano

Christina Whiteside

08/27/2013

Sam Romano, a midfielder out of Espiscopal School of Dallas (TX) is the first commit in Syracuse's 2015 class. CuseNation.com breaks down the film and highlights what this rising junior is bringing to the table inside.

Episcopal School of Dallas (TX) midfielder, Sam Romano, had a successful sophomore campaign this past season, notching 46 goals and dishing out 23 assists. He led his team to state runner-up status and in the process, was named First Team All-State, First Team All-Conference and recipient of the Two-Way Award – an honor given to the team's most valuable two-way midfielder.

Breaking down Romano's film, it's evident that he makes his living from up top as a dodger. The team fed into his strengths, too, setting high picks just outside the fan, allowing Romano just enough space to find the back of the net. The most striking attribute that stood out was his shot. Whether it was the precision or the range – a few times Romano launched it from the 30-yard line – this is one thing that he has certainly mastered. A majority of his scores were lasers, placed perfectly in the top right or left-hand corners. Romano is a finisher, a characteristic that will mesh well with Syracuse's style of play.

Aside from being incredibly athletic, Romano is still so raw. With two years of high school left, there is no doubt that he will continue to add to his arsenal of weapons on the field.

Working on the weak hand is on the list of most lacrosse players. For Romano, I would like to see him improve his left a bit more. The midfielder, for being such a superior dodger, starts his move primarily on the left side – to get his defender off kilter – and then immediately goes back to his right to finish. There were a few times I saw on film that he followed through with his left and it looked solid.

As a two-way midfielder, I'm curious to see how Romano plays defense as a whole – straight up – in a settled situation. His film highlighted beautiful checks in transition, often resulting in turnovers. Romano can certainly stick with the best of them in the midfield, that's for sure.